New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-12
NOW FOR THE BUSINESS MEN

The churches of New-Yorl1 have taken up
the agitation for High License with commend
able energy, rs Is shown by the proceedings OF
the conference held at the house of the Rev.
DR.. E. w. Donald. on Thursday evening. The
tone OF the discussion there left no room for
doubt as to the general appreciation Of the sit
uaion, and the programme arranged was prac-
teal, though perhaps 1t would have been bet
ter to have the Chickering Hall meeting earlier
than the 25th instant. Now that the churches
have put themselves In line with the public
need the business men ought to take the bill
in hand. High License is a measure which di-
| recty concerns every merchant and manufact-
urer in The city. and every employer of labor
in any form. The rapid increase of the saloons
under the existing system has already had most
mischievous effects. These places, and es-
pecially the lowest class of them, are the most
active and persistent breeders of discomfort and
turbulence among the workingmcn. They
harbor q class of worthless loafers who never
work themselves, but make q living by spong-
ing upon others and acquire spurious notorcty
by blatant talk against capital and in
favor of the widest Anarchism. Men who fire.
Quent such dens are injured both in body and
mind. The liquor they drink destroys their
health and the doctrines they hear unscttle
their judgment.
1t would be much moro difficult either to
begin or 10 keep up such strikes as have oc-
CURED recently if the whole class Of low grog-
geries was swept away. No prctcnce can he
falscr than that which represents the general
opposition to these places as arising from de-
sire to interfere with the pleasures of the poor
10 ,,loa INIT av,n
misery from the grog shops. They are tempt
cd to squander their wages. They are led to
do cruel injustice TO their own wives and chill
dren. They are untitled for the performance
of the work by which alone they can earn their
living. They are fooled with prcpostcrous the
cries which, when they attempt to put them in
practice, land them in idlcness and dcstituton.
Tho time will come when they themselves will
wonder at the blindness which kept them from
percciving the truth in this matter but whether
they realize it or not they can have no better
friends than those who warn them against the
saloon evil and cndcavor to mitigate it by leg
isation The business men know this and they
know that High License is a practical and
urgently needed measure If, however, they
expect to see it enacted into law they must put
their shoulders to the Wheel and not rest con-
tent with wishing well to the undertaking.
II is necessary TO bring the pressure OF united
and representative public opinion TO bear upon
the Legislature at Albany. The liquor interest
is organized, equipped, alert and already hard
at work fighting the Crosby bill. There is rca-
son to believe that High License so alarms this
interest that recourse will lie had to any and
every device and influence to beat it. What
| that means and comprchcnds no business man
requires TO be told moro specifically. There is
one, and only one, way To overcome this OPP
| position, and that is TO demonstrate that the
people Of New-YorlI insist upon the passage OF
the bill, and that they are determined to hold
to strict account every member OF the Legs
lature who bctrays his trust in regard TO this
important measure. No time should be lost in
organizing a campaign On behalf Of the High
License bill The most telling and unmistal-
able expression of opinion in favor of it is re-
quired, and with as little delay as possible. This
law is as necessary to the future welfare OF
New DIRK as proper measures for coast defence
The city cannot afford to proceed in the inSc-
cure and precarious line marked out by ire
sponsible demagogues and frcbrands. Com
merce and production must be protected and
one of the simplest as well as surcst methods
is to cut down if we cannot extirpate the most
sinister and trouble breeding agency eXtant to-
day. Let the business men therefore look TO
it, for it is very specially their concern, and il
they will put into short and sharp campaign
a 1.-THE of the energy and good sense with which
they manage their own affairs, High License
will become law before the end of the session